Radiant Heating Tile System

Abstract

The present invention is a radiant heating tile system for installation on a supporting surface. The system utilizes a plurality of modular heating tiles, the modular heating tiles each being substantially flat and having a substantially equal thickness. Each of the heating tiles have parallel top and bottom surfaces, a plurality of sides and an electrical heating element. The heating tiles each also have an insulator layer covering the bottom surface of the tile. The electrical heating element of each of the heating tiles is electrically coupled to a male electrical coupling contained in a notch formed on a first side of said tile. The electrical heating element of each of the heating tiles is also electrically coupled to a female electrical coupling contained in a notch formed on a second side of said tile opposite the first side. The male and female couplings are configured and the notches are positioned such that when two of said heating tiles are abutted together in side to side orientation, the male coupling of one heating tile is aligned with and can couple to the female coupling of the other tile.

1 . A radiant heating tile system for installation on a supporting surface comprising at least one heating tile, the heating tile comprising:
 a substantially flat tile having parallel top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of sides;   a heating element passing through the tile substantially parallel to the top and bottom surfaces, and   a plurality of feet formed on the bottom surface for supporting the tile above the supporting surface.   
     
     
         2 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 1  wherein the heating element comprises an electric heating element coupled to a first and a second side of the tile with a first and a second electrical coupler, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 2  wherein the first side of the tile is opposite the second side of the tile. 
     
     
         4 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 1  wherein the heating element comprises an electric heating element having opposite first and second ends and wherein the first and second ends of the electric heating coil is coupled to a first side of the tile with a first electrical coupler and wherein the first and second end of the electric heating coil is also coupled to a second side of the tile with a second electrical coupler. 
     
     
         5 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 2  wherein the first and second electrical couplers comprise male and female electrical couplers, respectively. 
     
     
         6 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 4  wherein the first and second electrical couplers comprise male and female electrical couplers, respectively. 
     
     
         7 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 1  wherein the heating element comprises an electric heating element having opposite first and second ends and wherein the first and second ends of the electric heating element are coupled to opposite first and second sides of the tile by first and second electrical couplers, respectively, and wherein the first and second ends of the electric heating element are further coupled to opposite third and fourth sides of the tile by third and fourth electrical couplers, respectively. 
     
     
         8 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 2  wherein the first and second sides of the tile each have a notch dimensioned to receive the first and second electrical couplers, respectively, and wherein the notches have an opening continuous with the top surface of the tile. 
     
     
         9 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 8  wherein the notches each have a bottom ledge which slopes downwardly towards an edge of the tile. 
     
     
         10 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 9  wherein the first side is opposite the second side and wherein the notches are positioned at a center of each side. 
     
     
         11 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 10  further comprising a plurality of cap portions, each cap portion dimensioned and configured to cover over the openings of the notches. 
     
     
         12 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 7  wherein the first side is opposite the third side and the second side is opposite the fourth side and wherein the notches each have a bottom ledge which slopes downwardly towards an edge of the tile. 
     
     
         13 . The radiant heating tile system according to  claim 12  further comprising a plurality of cap portions, each cap portion dimensioned and configured to cover over the openings of the notches. 
     
     
         14 . A radiant heating tile system for installation on a supporting surface comprising:
 a first plurality of heating tiles each being substantially flat and having a substantially equal thickness;   each of said first plurality of heating tiles having parallel top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of sides;   each of said first plurality of heating tiles having an electrical heating element;   the electrical heating element of each of said first plurality of heating tiles being electrically coupled to an electrical coupler contained in a notch formed on a first side of said tile;   the heating element of each of said first plurality of heating tiles being electrically coupled to an electrical coupler contained in a notch formed on a second side of said tile;   the electrical coupler being configured and the notches being positioned such that when two of said heating tiles are abutted together in side to side orientation, one of the couplers of one heating tile can be aligned with and can couple to one of the couplers of the other tile.   
     
     
         15 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 14  wherein each of the notches have an opening on the to surface and further comprising a plurality of cap portions, each cap portion configured to cover over the openings of the notches. 
     
     
         16 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 15  wherein the notches each have a bottom ledge which slopes downwardly towards an edge. 
     
     
         17 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 16  wherein each of the cap portions are dimensioned and configured to simultaneously cover over the openings of two opposing notches on adjacent tiles. 
     
     
         18 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 14  further comprising a second plurality of heating tiles, each of said second plurality of heating tiles being substantially flat and having a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of the first plurality of heating tiles;
 each of said second plurality of heating tiles having parallel top and bottom surfaces and a plurality of sides; 
 each of said second plurality of heating tiles having an electrical heating element having opposite first and second ends; 
 each of said second plurality of heating tiles having first and second electrical couplers electrically coupled to the electrical heating element and third and fourth electrical couplers electrically coupled to the electrical heating element; 
 the first and second electrical couplers being contained in separate notches formed on adjacent first and second sides, respectively, of said tile; 
 the third and fourth electrical couplers being contained in separate notches formed on adjacent third and fourth sides, respectively, of said tile; 
 the electrical couplers and the notches of said second plurality of tiles being configured such that when a tile of the first plurality of tiles is abutted with a tile of the second plurality of tiles one of the couplers of one of said tiles is aligned with one of the couplers of the abutting tile. 
 
     
     
         19 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 18  wherein each of the notches have an opening on the to surface and further comprising a plurality of cap portions, each cap portion configured to cover over the openings of the notches. 
     
     
         20 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 19  wherein the notches each have a bottom ledge which slopes downwardly towards an edge. 
     
     
         21 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 20  wherein each of the cap portions are dimensioned and configured to simultaneously cover over the openings of two opposing notches on adjacent tiles. 
     
     
         22 . The radiant heating tile system of  claim 11  wherein the cap portion is translucent and wherein at one of the notches contains a light emitter.